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Medical marijuana patients urged to grow own cannabis

Alice Walton

Following the L.A. City Council's vote to ban medical marijuana clinics, Councilman Paul Koretz said he believed the drug would be virtually unavailable to patients in Los Angeles. Michael Juliano/KPCC

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Once the city of Los Angeles forces more than 800 medical marijuana clinics to close, how will patients obtain the medication they need to curb the effects of serious illness?

There are a few options for those with medical cannabis cards:

Grow your own marijuana: The city’s ban on storefront clinics allows patients to form their own collectives with one or two other people. The members of those collectives may grow the plants at their homes.

Get it from a primary caregiver: Primary caregivers may continue to distribute, deliver and give away medical marijuana. The drug will also be allowed in hospices and licensed clinics.

Go to another city: Medical marijuana clinics remain open in Long Beach, West Hollywood, Marina del Rey and Ventura. WeedMaps.com provides a listing of clinics by city and neighborhood.

Those exemptions to the ban, however, do not do enough to address the needs of critically ill patients, according to clinic supporters. Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz agreed.

"I think we're living in a dream world if we really think we're providing any access to very many people. Virtually no one has the ability to grow their own marijuana. The other circumsntances where marijuana is allegedly accessible in this ordinance, I believe, will be virtually non-existent," Koretz said.